Pontiac G8: The World's Best Car Nobody Was Buying

[Bravada]

OK now:





Just two more recent examples. If a car is good, it just catches on immediately. There is nothing like "catching on period". If a car begins to sell better only after a few months in the market, then either the availability was seriously limited, but more probably, incentives start to kick in (either direct incentives or aggressive marketing, or both usually).

[vcs2600]

Pontiac customers had gotten wise to GM. There was no rush to buy the car because everyone knew that was only a matter of time before GM started throwing cash on the hood. Too many stories about $24K GTOs.

The other point which is always overlooked is that "halo cars" like the G8 aren't purely about sales numbers. The idea was to generate interest in the Pontiac brand, increase showroom traffic, and ultimately sell more G6s and Vibes. If only a narrow market of V8/RWD enthusiasts cared about the car, it failed as a halo vehicle.

[goatgary]

Rather interesting to me to see all the rants by enthusiasts on this site about GM's decision on the G-8, given the fact that even with piles of cash on the hood very few who have gone ballistic about this have actually bought the car. Screams volumes about why GM says it can't build a viable business case. When those of you who believe it is a bargain M5 can't spring for the car, why would the general public?

[CJ Thunder]

Originally Posted by rsbaker

Motor Trends rendering of the direction the Impala may have been taking before Zeta was canned:

This former future Impala looks good to me!

I see a little Camaro in there and a refined/brash (which means a good American design) answer to the 300. Yet I am stuck with nada. So I don't own a sedan and don't think I will anytime soon.

Originally Posted by vcs2600

Pontiac customers had gotten wise to GM. There was no rush to buy the car because everyone knew that was only a matter of time before GM started throwing cash on the hood. Too many stories about $24K GTOs.

The other point which is always overlooked is that "halo cars" like the G8 aren't purely about sales numbers. The idea was to generate interest in the Pontiac brand, increase showroom traffic, and ultimately sell more G6s and Vibes. If only a narrow market of V8/RWD enthusiasts cared about the car, it failed as a halo vehicle.

HAHA I worked as a car salesmen and GM tried to feed me that while people jumped all over over the Satrun Sky. If I want a Sky why would I want a Vue?

You people all ways tear apart comparison reviews when cars are of different categories yet you expect me to believe that someone wanting a G8 is going to walk away with a Vibe? Sure if the customer is sold but thats not a customer you want, you want someone who has a desire for a product.

[GM-Joe]

Originally Posted by TuffG929

In other news, Genesis a raging success....

I've only seen one and thought it was a cheap cross between a bimmer and a benz. I wasn't even sure what it was at first and only seeing one on the road doesn't constitute it as a success.

[scotth3886]

Originally Posted by Stevasaurus

Hopped on the Pontiac website last Friday to see how many G8 GXP's were left within a 150 mile radius from where I live. Low and behold, there was a Sport Red Metallic one at the dinky B-P-G dealership in my city?!? Went and looked at it Friday night after hours. What a beautiful car! Stack the Summer Savings with Supplier discount and the price was right too. Surely makes me wish I was in the market for a car . . .

Its too bad about the color as I already have a sport red GT. If it was stryker blue or pacific slate with a 6 speed manual then I would be real interested.

[ejfx]

Originally Posted by Rocket 88

Alfred Sloan may have said a car for every purse and purpose, but he didn't mean it at the same brand and that is what GM forgot.

During that time decades ago the GM business model worked perfectly...
Back then peoples first car was a Chevy, as they work their way through life and more successful career, they bought thier way up the GM ladder...Chevy then Pontiac then Olds then Buick and retirement in a Cadillac.

These days people dont give a care about what the achieve...they are happy staying in thier Chevy...or Pontiac...thats why each brand needs thier own ladder these days.

Originally Posted by chaz_23

And the fact that Pontiac was an ultra damaged brand already.

Cadillac was just as damaged in the 1980's (Cimmaron = G3)...Now they are back to being respectable...I think Pontiac could have been respectable again.

[scotth3886]

Originally Posted by Bravada

OK now:





Just two more recent examples. If a car is good, it just catches on immediately. There is nothing like "catching on period". If a car begins to sell better only after a few months in the market, then either the availability was seriously limited, but more probably, incentives start to kick in (either direct incentives or aggressive marketing, or both usually).

Wrong. I knew about the car long before it came out, but was a little unsure about Holden, and I don't like solid red on a big car. I knew that the 2009 was going into production shortly after the car came out and it was going to be available with the sport red so I waited a few months and got my 09 on July 28th 2008. The car caught on a bit slowly and wasn't helped at all by the financial collapse last fall. All things considered, it's been doing pretty well over the last few months.

[scotth3886]

Originally Posted by goatgary

Rather interesting to me to see all the rants by enthusiasts on this site about GM's decision on the G-8, given the fact that even with piles of cash on the hood very few who have gone ballistic about this have actually bought the car. Screams volumes about why GM says it can't build a viable business case. When those of you who believe it is a bargain M5 can't spring for the car, why would the general public?

I put my wallet where my mouth is and there a bunch of others on here that have done the same.

[goatgary]

BEAUTIFUL ride! My point is that in proportion to the number who have weighed in on this, frelatively few have done as you have. Congrats, and enjoy!

[goblue]

How is a Chevrolet version of the G8 a rebadge if the Pontiac doesn't exist anymore?

This is really a stupid decision - even if they don't make any real money on a Chevrolet G8, it would make progress on strengthening the brand. Guess that's not what Henderson is interested in.

[uvaeeman]

It needs incentives because the price was a little too high all along (v6), then they crazily made it higher right as car sales tanked. I really thought they should have brought a North American zeta plant online to make low-margin versions at a much lower cost - the delta was so close between the base and GT - still is. That's why the GT is so popular.

IMHO, base pricing should have been:
$22k - Base V6 (the current V6)
$27k - DI V6
$30k - GT
$36k - GXP

Having the DI be close to the V8 price would make much more sense. It makes good HP (not as good as the V8) but much better fuel economy. They should have picked a trim level or two that had a higher margin and built those in Oz. Then if the car took off in popularity, certain versions from Oz that were limited by production capacity would have perhaps become a little harder to find. That would have allowed them to gradually increase prices.

Preparing and scrimping and saving as fast as I can - hoping to get a GT before they're all gone. If even bigger incentives come along, then I may move up my time table.

[toddr19]

G8 failed for two reasons.

1. Boring styling

2. Boring name. G8 is so.........BORING!

[Bravada]

given the fact that even with piles of cash on the hood very few who have gone ballistic about this have actually bought the car.

But really, half of GMI bought G8s, or at least it seems. I am in the other half, but then I simply can't have one, as GM wouldn't let me. GMI folk can hardly be referred to as blind fanboys, there is a wide variety of different cars here, from from GM-only or even "domestic-only" (among US members). The sheer popularity of the G8 among those "in the know" (i.e. without prejudice against the Pontiac brand + who have heard about the G8 in the first place) does indeed confirm the car's virtues.

Wrong. I knew about the car long before it came out, but was a little unsure about Holden, and I don't like solid red on a big car. I knew that the 2009 was going into production shortly after the car came out and it was going to be available with the sport red so I waited a few months and got my 09 on July 28th 2008.

It's you vs. markets. I am really really really sorry, but you lose in this comparo.

GM was simply lukewarm towards the whole G8 idea, the car itself, the brand etc., so how could one expect markets would rave about it. Compare against Ford's Mustang launch, or even at least the effort behind the 2010 Taurus. GM wasn't really sure not only whether the G8 would succeed, but even if they wanted it to. This is what was, and is, why GM fails.

[camaro_freak]

Originally Posted by goblue

How is a Chevrolet version of the G8 a rebadge if the Pontiac doesn't exist anymore?

This is really a stupid decision - even if they don't make any real money on a Chevrolet G8, it would make progress on strengthening the brand. Guess that's not what Henderson is interested in.

sounds a bit like if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around